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WASHINGTON D.C. — Instead of spending hours parking and wearing out your feet walking miles, use the Capital Bikeshare program to see all of the sites cheaply and efficiently. As reclaimed marshland, the Mall is perfectly suited for easy bike riding. If you follow the itinerary below, checking the bikes in and out judiciously on your way, you can avoid the long usage fees and complete the entire loop for less than $10.
On a weekend, begin by parking for free in the Aurora Hills neighborhood just south of the Pentagon. On a weekday, ride the metro to the Pentagon City station. There are multiple Capital Bikeshare stations nearby.
The first leg of the trip takes between 30 to 60 minutes and will cost $2 per bike. Once you check out your bike, ride north to the Pentagon. There is a path on the west side of the building that passes the 9/11 memorial. Although photography is normally prohibited on the Pentagon reservation, you can take pictures at the memorial.
Then continue northwest on the sidewalk along Washington Boulevard to Arlington National Cemetery. Bike riding is not allowed in the cemetery, but you can ride up to the Women’s Memorial and then walk to the right to see the classic scene of waves of identical small white stones without the crowds. You can follow the path through the cemetery to the Marine Iwo Jima memorial and then ride back or simply peek in and then return to Memorial Drive.
Next, cruise over the Potomac River on Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial. Check in your bike. Walk up the steps to the Lincoln Memorial. Read the inspired 2nd Inaugural and Gettysburg addresses. To the left is the Vietnam Memorial and to the right is the Korean Memorial. In front is a beautiful vista of the refurbished Reflecting Pool.
Return to the bike rack and check out another bike. The path to the Washington Monument is shaded by large trees and this is especially valuable during the hot and humid summer. You have time to pause at the WWII memorial and by curving around the north side of the Washington Memorial (recently reopened after fixing cracks from the earthquake of 2011) you can see the White House four blocks away.
Check in the bike at the corner of Jefferson Drive and 14th Street, but then immediately check it out again. This saves $2 per bike and only takes 2 minutes.
Ride along Independence Avenue to reach the Martin Luther King monument — the newest monument in D.C. Afterwards, walk your bike around the tidal basin to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt monument. The FDR monument is laid out in a number of natural courtyards of large granite blocks, sculptures and waterfalls and it's a nice relaxing place to ride.
Next, ride on the sidewalk along Ohio Drive and check your bike in at the station behind the Jefferson Memorial on East Basin Drive Southwest. Walk the 500 yards to the Jefferson Memorial. Read the inspiring quotes in this beautiful space of open porticos that make you feel like you are inside while outside. It is a cool and beautiful summer spot overlooking the Tidal Basin.
For the final leg, check out the bike again and cross the 14th Street bridge. Join the Mt. Vernon Trail heading south. Before reaching Crystal City, the path takes you to Gravely Point Park. You pass directly in the landing route for DCA. You can look up at planes only 100-feet overhead. However, it is so loud you may need ear protection.
A quick ride returns you to the Crystal City metro stop on 18th Street or Aurora Hills for the final check in.
During the summer, begin in the early morning to avoid the heat and humidity, make it more likely for bikes to be available when and where you want them and for less cars on the roads and crowds at the sites.
The total cost of your tour by bike will be $9. The 24-hour bike rental costs $7 and the first leg will take 30 to 60 minutes and cost an extra $2. For all the other trips under 30 minutes, it is free. Checking out bikes is easy using a credit card. Returning them is also simple.
This route takes about 2 hours with a reasonable pace and stopping just to look and take a picture. If you ride straight to the next stop and check in the bike you can spend as much time as you want at each site and will still be able to save money.
Brigham Wilson works for the Air Force in Washington DC. Email him at brighamtree@gmail.com.
